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Subrat Das

The union budget for 2014-15 offers few changes in terms of policy priorities from the United Progressive Alliance government's interim budget for 2014-15, and it fails to recognise the cracks in the country's budgetary policies towards the social sectors, which have been worsening over time.

The Union Budget for 2010-11 does pay some attention to a few important areas in the social sector like women and child development, development of minorities, rural housing and technical education, but the budget's overall allocations and proposals for the critical social services fall far short of expectations and are in keeping with the fiscal conservatism that has gripped the United Progressive Alliance government in its second tenure.

The gender budgeting statement presented in the union budget for 2006-07 covers a significant number of ministries/departments and is hence a welcome step. However, many of the figures given in the statement reflect highly questionable assumptions, which on the one hand are unjustifiable and on the other quite patriarchal.